An object of the invention is to provide thin-film magnetic heads that meet specifications required by the customer in a short time and to improve yields of thin-film magnetic heads. In a thin-film magnetic head sub-structure of the invention, a bottom shield layer and a first portion of a top shield layer are placed in one plane, being insulated from each other. Portions of conductive layers to be connected to an MR element are placed in grooves formed between the bottom shield layer and the first portion of the top shield layer, being insulated by an insulating film from the bottom shield layer and the first portion. A thin-film coil is placed on a first portion of the top shield layer, an insulating layer being placed between the coil and the first portion. A thin-film magnetic head is completed by adding the MR element, a second portion of the top shield layer placed on top of the MR element, a recording gap layer, a top pole layer and so on.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A thin-film magnetic head comprising: a reproducing head including: a magnetoresistive element; a first shield layer and a second shield layer for shielding the magnetoresistive element, portions of the first shield layer and the second shield layer that face a recording medium being opposed to each other with the magnetoresistive element in between; a first insulating layer provided between the magnetoresistive element and the first shield layer and a second insulating layer provided between the magnetoresistive element and the second shield layer; and a recording head including: a first magnetic layer and a second magnetic layer magnetically coupled to each other and each made up of at least one layer and including magnetic pole portions opposed to each other and each located in a respective end region of the magnetic layers that faces toward a recording medium; a gap layer placed between the pole portions of the first and second magnetic layers; and a thin-film coil at least part of which is placed between the first and second magnetic layers and insulated from the first and second magnetic layers; wherein: the second shield layer includes a first portion placed in a plane the same as a plane in which the first shield layer is placed, the first portion being insulated from the first shield layer by an insulating film, and a second portion connected to the first portion and opposed to the first shield layer with the magnetoresistive element in between, the first portion and the second portion being separate from each other; and the second shield layer also functions as the first magnetic layer; and the at least part of the thin-film coil is placed between the first portion of the second shield layer and the second magnetic layer.
2. The thin-film magnetic head according to claim 1, further comprising a conductive layer connected to the magnetoresistive element, wherein at least part of the conductive layer is placed between the first shield layer and the first portion of the second shield layer, the conductive layer being insulated from the first shield layer and the first portion by the insulating film.
3. The thin-film magnetic head according to claim 2, further comprising a shield layer for shielding the at least part of the conductive layer.
4. A thin-film magnetic head sub-structure used for manufacturing a thin-film magnetic head that comprises: a reproducing head including: a magnetoresistive element; a first shield layer and a second shield layer for shielding the magnetoresistive element, portions of the first shield layer and the second shield layer that face a recording medium being opposed to each other with the magnetoresistive element in between; a first insulating layer provided between the magnetoresistive element and the first shield layer and a second insulating layer provided between the magnetoresistive element and the second shield layer; and a recording head including: a first magnetic layer and a second magnetic layer magnetically coupled to each other and each made up of at least one layer and including magnetic pole portions opposed to each other and each located in a respective end region of the magnetic layers that faces toward a recording medium; a gap layer placed between the pole portions of the first and second magnetic layers; and a thin-film coil at least part of which is placed between the first and second magnetic layers and insulated from the first and second magnetic layers; wherein: the second shield layer includes a first portion placed in a plane the same as a plane in which the first shield layer is placed, the first portion being insulated from the first shield layer by an insulating film, and a second portion connected to the first portion and opposed to the first shield layer with the magnetoresistive element in between, the first portion and the second portion being separate from each other; and the second shield layer also functions as the first magnetic layer; the thin-film magnetic head sub-structure comprising: the first shield layer; the first portion of the second shield layer placed in the same plane as the first shield layer, the first portion being insulated from the first shield layer by an insulating film, and at least part of the thin-film coil placed on the first portion of the second shield layer, the at least part of the thin-film coil being insulated from the first portion by an insulating layer.
5. The thin-film magnetic head sub-structure according to claim 4, further comprising at least part of a conductive layer to be connected to the magnetoresistive element, wherein the at least part of the conductive layer is placed between the first shield layer and the first portion of the second shield layer, the conductive layer being insulated from the first shield layer and the first portion by the insulating film.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
June 23, 1999
September 4, 2001
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